On May 17, 1876, Lieutenant Colonel George Custer bid farewell to his wife, Libby, and rode out of Fort Abraham Lincoln at the head of the 7th Cavalry. He never returned. North Dakotans took his loss personally. Custer was a popular figure, and the territory was stunned when news of his defeat became known.
On this date in 1926, North Dakota’s attention was focused on the 50th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Dr. John Lee Coulter, president of North Dakota Agricultural College, was named one of the main speakers at the commemoration. Other speakers included railroad officials, representatives of the War Department, and explorer John Stevens, who helped build the transcontinental railroad.
The Bismarck Tribune reported that “Interest is very widely spread, and the arrangements are under way.” Organizers expected a crowd of several thousand people. Amplifiers were placed around the site so the entire crowd could hear the speakers. A thousand Shriners were expected to attend, including the Arab Patrol and the fife and drum corps. The Shriner band from Fargo was scheduled to present a concert following the speeches.
Memories of the battle centered on a romantic and nostalgic version of events. Writers extolled “Custer, dashing Custer, at the head of his column… Sunshine on the flanks of prancing horses. Wives smiling through tears.” And although fifty years had passed, “The memory of Custer’s gallant band still flames.”
But there was another side to the story. The tribes who fought against Custer were portrayed as cruel savages. Custer’s defeat was presented as a tragedy, but also as an event that helped move the Great Plains into the future. Custer and his “gallant troopers” were described as the forerunners of the next decade, in which, as newspapers reported, the Native tribes “were completely vanquished” and “they gave trouble no more.” Instead, the land they had inhabited for centuries “awaited the coming of the conquerors.”
The celebration was considered a great success. There were speeches, concerts, and picnics attended by thousands of people. But the entire story was not told. The descendants of those who rode against Custer still inhabit the Great Plains and hold a very different interpretation of the events that took place 150 years ago at the Battle of Greasy Grass.
Dakota Datebook written by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Bismarck Tribune. “Details of Custer’s Last Stand Related As Time Nears For 50th Anniversary Celebration Nears June 27.” Bismarck ND. 6/19/1926. Page 1.
- Bismarck Tribune. “Coulter Will Be Speaker At Celebration.” Bismarck ND. 6/17/1926. Page 1.
- Bismarck Tribune. “North Dakota’s History of Half a Century Will Be Reviewed at Custer Anniversary Observance.” Bismarck ND. 6/26/1926. Page 1.
